Stomp, plod, stomp.

Chop, stamp, plod, scratch. (Of a spear-head in tree bark.)

These were the noises dipper heard as he walked through the forest in gravity falls, Oregon. They were made by him – the only sounds around. This part of the forest was eerily silent.

Dipper was occasionally glancing down at a page of the journal that was a map of the forest, with all the territories marked so he could avoid the gremoblins and the gnomes, the fairies and the (courtesy of Mabel) clone camp grounds, where the Sev'ral Timez clones, and dippers three and four were staying, safe from the rest of the forest and the real world (the dippers kept on leaving though.).

He seemed to be in an area of the forest yet unexplored by Ford – or maybe it was, just in journal 1 or 2, and not 3, but he still needed to know the area; he knew the rest of the forest pretty much off by heart now…

And besides, he needed a break.

From… everything.

Everyone, really. A voice said in his head.

Yeah. Everyone.

(Ever since the reveal of Ford's secret Bill worshiping days and dipper's use of the Mind Machine thing he's found it easier to think. And have conversations with himself to come to a conclusion. He's not crazy. Really. Hopefully.)

So, there he was, exploring a part of the woods he hadn't been to, chopping branches, each satisfying snap and chop draining his anger at –

At everyone, really.

It's not like there had been much spare time lately to deal with his feelings on the whole STAN IS NOT WHAT HE SEEMS incident.

So there he was, chopping away.

Mabel not trusting him, after he trusted her so many times…Thwack! Grunkle Stan's lies... Chop! Grunkle Ford's lies…Bill worship… keeping things from him when he knows Dipper doesn't trust easily… Snap!

Each hit clearing his mind, making him think easier. Justifying what they did, making excuses for them…

Kidding myself. "Shut up", he replied, aloud, anger colouring his words.

He continued storming off in this direction for a while, stewing in his thoughts and not really concentrating, focusing on the sounds of his spear cutting through the branches and brambles.

Which is why he didn't notice the kid in the clearing until it was almost too late.

Luckily, Dipper had looked up from the journal at the right time, or he would have walked in on this kid… talking. To… Something. Dipper could sort-of see… something. An outline of something, human in shape, able to just about hear whispers he couldn't make out…

He knew, logically, that he shouldn't be able to see this.

But when had logic actually helped him? Rarely, and in Gravity Falls…

Well. Logic just kind of goes out the window, in this place.

So he hid, behind a tree, before he was noticed, and watched what was going on in the clearing, analysing the…thing… and the boy that was there.

The kid had the weirdest hair he'd ever seen – standing straight up, as if he'd recently been electrocuted, at least four inches above his head. Ridiculous, and kind of silly in a place like this to have hair like that. He seemed normal other than that, just a red hoodie, black jeans and a pair of converse; nothing abnormal, really.

Except that he was talking to this… shape, as if they were friends. Trying to look closer at the shape, he made out long black hair and a puritan-era outfit, and feminine features. A ghost! Dipper realised. Wonder if she's nicer than the store ghosts I exorcized a couple days ago… seems so, since she's being so nice to him…Dipper thought there was a lull in the conversation, and figured it would be as good a time as any to announce his presence. Clearing his throat, he walked into the clearing, sheathing his spear on his back (courtesy of Mabel) trying to ignore his building headache from looking at something his logical brain said shouldn't be there, but was, obviously.

The boy, startled, spun round quickly, sporting a wary and slightly shocked expression, his face pasty and he had bags under his eyes. Probably thought nobody would find him here… needs some sleep too. Or at least coffee. Or maybe Mabel juice. Dipper theorised. "Wh-who are you?" the boy asked, stuttering, ridiculously bushy eyebrows furrowing in confusion. Dipper wasn't ready to give that information – anything and everything lived in these woods. "I could ask the same thing, so it seems we're at an impasse." Is that how that word was used? He thinks so. (Dipper had improved his vocabulary since the Society Incident – sorta. He still used words he didn't quite understand.)

"uh – Norman. N-Norman Babcock. You?"

Wow. Wow. Really, universe?

"Okay, well, don't be offended – but that doesn't exactly give me confidence. What about the ghost? Is she… friendly? Or…?" Dipper trailed off, hoping he'd get the message. Instead, the other boy's – 'Norman's'. hah. – eyes widened, looking between the ghost and Dipper, as if following a tennis match. Excitedly, he said, "Can you see her? Really see her? No-one, no-one else has ever seen ghosts – not like I can anyway! When did you first start seeing them? Have you always seen them? How'd you deal with it? What-"

Dipper cut him off.

"Woah there, ah… 'Norman', hold on a second – first of all, yes, why wouldn't I be able to, I first met a ghost near the start of summer, probably not, haven't had to – anything else? And, ah, slower this time."

'Norman' looked sheepish.

"uh- right, sorry – what was your name again?" he questioned, curious.

Dipper was going to regret this.

"Dipper. Dipper pines."

There. He'd thrown the olive branch, if this 'Norman' guy was one of the oddities of Gravity falls. If Gnomes can pass of as human, anything can.

Norman blinked. Dipper wished he knew what he was thinking right now. "Um- I'd say it was nice to meet you but – well – you appeared out of nowhere and have that spear and well–" he gestured in Dipper's general direction. Seemingly, he didn't quite know what to say.

Yeah, okay, Dipper'd give him that.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes. Man, I need some coffee. (Maybe he shouldn't have stayed up all night reading the third journal.)

Dipper sighed. "Okay, look – sorry about that, it's just… well. Things live in this forest, and I needed to make sure you weren't one. Since you aren't… this forest isn't safe, for anyone, so you should leave, as soon as possible. I could give you directions, if you need them. What are you doing out here, anyway?"

(What? He's just being cautious.)

Norman's expression became slightly guarded, but not before Dipper saw the flash of worry – of fear – that went across his face.

"Um – That – That's not really your business, and – um, yeah, directions would be nice – I'm looking for gravity falls?" The boy asked, nervously, hopefully.

Well. Dipper wasn't going to leave someone, lost in the forest, no matter who they were.

And, really, he had to admit that it wasn't exactly his business, whatever the guy was doing, he didn't need to know. Doesn't stop him from wanting to, though.

"Alright then. I'll take you to the Mystery Shack – follow the road from there and you'll get to town. You'll owe me one, though."

If he'd learnt anything this summer, it was that nothing is without cost, or consequence.

This time was the cost option.

"Thank you." Norman said, quietly.

The kid didn't even ask what he'd owe…

Shut up. (Sometimes, he didn't think the voice was his. Which, you know, made him look crazy. So he didn't say anything.)

Dipper took his spear out of its sheath. "Let's go then. – oh, and bring your ghost friend."

Dipper turned around, and, walking slightly slower than usual so Norman could keep up with him, he went off in the direction of the Mystery Shack.

Norman hurried to catch him up, beckoning the ghost girl (that Dipper could only just see, as he was trying to ignore her so he didn't get a headache.)

Suddenly, Dipper realised something, and mentally smacked himself for not realising before. "Uh – Norman – are you here without any relatives?"

Norman's eyes widened. "uhm – N-N- no" he protested, weakly. Dipper snorted. "Okay, I live with a guy whose job is to be a conman. You need to lie better than that."

Norman sighed. "Uh – yeah, I am. Kind of. Aggie here – the… uh, the ghost – she's a… very distant relative. From the past. So, yes, but not exactly?" He tried to explain.

"Huh." Dipper said, because that made some sort of sense. In a way.

The walk back to the Shack was quiet, the children silent for the most part – Norman, not knowing the forest well, kept on tripping up on roots and rocks, and getting smacked in the face with low hanging branches.

Dipper slowed down even more, so he wouldn't leave him behind.

But other than that, they made the way back to the Mystery shack before dark, (thankfully) which was in good time considering. (Only just though. It was sunset when they got there.)

Mabel was in their attic bedroom, looking out the window. When she saw them emerge from the tree line, she shot the grappling hook at the totem pole and swung down to the ground, landing neatly. She sprinted towards them, and Dipper braced himself as she launched at him, nearly tackling him in her enthusiasm. "Dip-dop! Where were you?! Stan was starting to wonder – said he needed you to do some work but I'm pretty sure he was worried! Oh – hey! Who're you?" The entire time her voice was raised, practically shouting in his ear, until the last sentence.

Oh dear.

She was batting her eyelashes rather forcefully in Norman's Direction –

Looks like her next crush of the week has been found.

Hmmm…

He wondered…

"Mabel, meet Norman. Norman, meet Mabel – oh, and don't worry; he's not from round here."

Mabel's eyes had widened at Norman's name, but her posture relaxed when he finished his sentence – good, she got his message. Also, she seemed less interested, so obviously hadn't had much of a crush on him.

Norman looked slightly relieved.

Mabel looked expectantly at Dipper "Well Dip, what took you so long?"

"Norman was lost in the forest – so I brought him back; now he just needs to follow the road to the town and he'll be where he needs to be. Right?" Dipper aimed that last part at Norman. The boy nodded "Y-yeah. Uh- Thanks, by the way; I – I – uh, probably would have stayed… lost… if you hadn't of helped me – so uh… yeah. Thanks." His eyes glanced to the left, and Dipper looked at the ghost girl, who was there, obviously. The girl seemed to be moving her lips, dipper read "Thank you", and he nodded, hoping they would get that is was for both of them.

The ghost girl… Aggie, was it? Yeah, Aggie, smiled slightly in his direction, and Norman nodded back, awkwardly "Uh – I'll, I'll just – just go…then" he gestured off in the direction of the road. "Maybe we'll come buy stuff…uh – see you." And he backed off, turned around and walked in the direction of the town. The twins watched him (Dipper watched them both) go.

"So, bro-bro – made a new friend?" Mabel asked, leaning towards him and punching his upper arm. Dipper folded them after that, and surreptitiously rubbed the spot where she hit. He sometimes wished she hadn't had Gruncle Stan teach her how to punch properly…

Then she smacks a gremoblin in the face and he thanks him profusely in his head. (He'd never know that way.)

"Uh – not really Mabel, he was just lost in the woods; and that is never good – especially not here." He replied

She blew a raspberry at him. "Well that's stupid. He's our age and he's male – considering the only other friend our age or close to that you have is Wendy… maybe you should befriend him – who knows, he may just be as much of a nerd as you are, Dipping Sauce."

Dipper rolled his eyes. (though she was right. The only (non-blood-related family, nor elderly) male friend he had was Soos – His only other friends were Mabel (his twin.) and Wendy (his fifteen year old ex-crush.)

And he guessed Pacifica – sorta. Maybe. Call him crazy, but he had an okay (good) time at that party – after the ghost was gone. She might be his friend. He wasn't sure.

He kinda hadn't noticed that they were all female. Huh. (Well - he knows they're female – duh – but, man, the only friends he has that're around his age are female. All of them. That's what's 'huh'.))

"I'm not gonna take no for an answer!" Mabel half sing-song-ed, half shouted right next to his ear, probably bursting one of his ear drums in the process. He flinched.

"Just drop it Mabel, okay? He's just some random person who got lost in the woods. He'll be gone soon anyway – come on, I found the crystals we were looking for yesterday, and it turns out they are guarded by pixies so you sort-of need to be there if you want any of them without creating more enemies out of the creatures of the forest…"